Hi everyone! This week there are multiple research seminars, including a wonderful PGF Seminar(!), going on at the School this week. Furthermore, there is a temporary museum exhibition at the Great North Museum. Hopefully we will catch you at one of the events! Best wishes, The PGF Committee

PGF SEMINAR: ‘‘IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’ – THE VIRGINIAN GENTRY HAVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS [1764-1775]’ BY THOMAS WHITFIELD (NEWCASTLE ARCHAEOLOGY PHD CANDIDATE)

Date/Time: Wednesday 18 October 2017, 13:00.

Venue: Room 1.03, Armstrong Building.

In this seminar he will give a brief overview of his research findings, discuss what led him [a PhD Candidate researching eighteenth-century North-East England] to undertake research into Colonial Virginia and talk about the experience of working in an institution where his output will be incorporated into the public interpretations of one of America’s most popular tourist attractions. Throughout the 1760’s Virginia’s gentry were dogged by a succession of political crises and scandals; both relating to wider imperial affairs and to local, provincial matters. Unsettled and unnerved by these scandals and crises, the political elites of the colony were necessitated to re-habilitate their public images if they wanted to survive re-election and hold onto their seats in the House of Burgesses. In his research, Tom uses a combination of textual, visual and material sources to demonstrate just how Virginia’s gentry went about trying to rehabilitate their image by shifting their political alignments between two key individuals of the period, John Wilkes and William Pitt [the elder].

CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY RESEARCH SEMINAR: ‘HIPPONAX (AND ARCHILOCHUS) IN THE MUSEUM: ANCIENT SCHOLARSHIP ON ARCHAIC GREEK IAMBOS.’ BY DR ENRICO EMANUELE PRODI (OXFORD)

Date/Time: Wednesday 18 October 2017, 17:00.

Venue: Room 2.50, Armstrong Building. http://www.ncl.ac.uk/hca/seminars/item/hipponaxandarchilochusinthemuseum.html

ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH SEMINAR: ‘THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE BALTIC CRUSADES: NEW UNDERSTANDINGS OF CONQUEST, COLONISATION AND RELIGIOUS CONVERSION IN MEDIEVAL NE EUROPE.’ BY DR ALEKSANDER GRZEGORZ PLUSKOWSKI (READING).

Date/Time: Thursday 19 October 2017, 16:00.

Venue: Room 2.16.

They constructed castles, encouraged colonists, developed towns and introduced Christianity. At a time of deteriorating climate, their impact on the local environment, especially plants and animals, would have been profound. Since many aspects of the natural world were sacred to the Baltic tribes, this impact would be synonymous with the cultural changes that created a new world at this frontier of Christendom. (read further)

MUSEUM EXHIBITION: ‘FRONTIER FASHION: GLASS BANGLES OF THE ROMAN NORTH’

Date/Time: 12 October 2017 – 3 January 2018.

Venue: Great North Museum

A mini exhibition Frontier Fashion: Glass Bangles of the Roman North that focuses on Newcastle University archaeologist Dr Tatiana Ivleva’s research on Roman glass bangles in Britain. Tatiana is particularly interested in the popularity of glass bangles in Northern Britain, on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall. A small number of fascinating artefacts are on show in the display which is taking place in the new temporary exhibition space, formerly the Mithraeum. Further details can be found here.